MERIDEN, England, 10 June 2003 — Britain’s Greg Owen laid the ghost of Portugal to rest on Sunday when he won the British Masters by three strokes.

Owen allowed the Portuguese Open title to slip through his fingers seven weeks ago but held on this time as a closing one-under-par 71 for 14-under-par 274, earned him the $409,000 first prize from compatriot Ian Poulter and Frenchman Christian Cevaer.

Poulter, winner of last week’s Wales Open, failed to make it back-to-back successes as he carded a 71 after beginning the final round four strokes behind Owen.

Cevaer produced a birdie-birdie finish to come through the field with a 68.

Victory rewarded the persistence of 31-year-old Owen, who led by two strokes on the Algarve in April with five holes to go and shared the lead at the 72nd but had to settle for fifth place.

He had also finished third four times in three years.

Owen’s win took him to eighth on the European money list while Poulter, with a first and second in successive weeks, has risen from 135th two weeks ago, to sixth.

Cevaer, who broke his elbow skiing last year, had his second European Tour runner-up best finish. His of nearly $200,000 was by far the biggest of his career.

Tournament favorite Darren Clarke, who won the English Open at Forest of Arden in the same week last year, was another to come surging through the field.

The Northern Irishman shot a 66 to share fourth place, six strokes behind Owen, before setting off for the US Open.

Sorenstam Wins First LPGA

Championship and Fifth Major

In Wilmington, Delaware, Annika Sorenstam capped a whirlwind three-week span the way she hoped on Sunday, claiming her first LPGA Championship in a playoff with Grace Park. The 32-year-old Swede made a two-foot par putt through the mist at the 18th hole to seal her 45th career LPGA Tour triumph and fifth major title.

Most importantly, it was her first win in nine attempts at this event.

After making the winning putt, Sorenstam pumped her fist and skipped to her caddie before sharing a hug with Park.

The dance was similar to the one she did after carding a 59 two years ago in Phoenix. It was the second win in eight days for Sorenstam, who claimed last week’s Kellogg-Keebler Classic after becoming the first woman in 58 years to compete in a PGA Tour event. The tournament came down to 12 feet, the distance of Park’s par putt at the 18th hole. She left it above the cup and settled for her best finish in a major.

Park and Sorenstam finished with 72-hole totals of 6-under 278, a distant six shots ahead of Rosie Jones, Rachel Teske of Australia and Beth Daniel.